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Wednesday, 19 January 2011

Last weekend we headed north, not to the hills but to Glasgow to celebrate my Dad’s recent 85th birthday. On the Sunday morning we had a wander around the city centre as it was wakening up. Glasgow’s city centre retains many of its grand Victorian buildings, many build in local red sandstone that has been cleaned in recent years to remove the grime of the industrial past.

The old St Enoch Underground Station

Running north from St Enoch’s Square (and the above underground station) is Buchanan Street, one of the grander shopping streets. Linking Buchanan Street with Argyle Street is the “Argyle Arcade” – a shopping arcade inside the Argyle Chambers.

Buchanan Street entrance to the Argyle Arcade

Buchanan Street entrance to the Argyle Arcade

Looking east from Buchanan Street

Notice at the Argyle Street entrance (perhaps it doesn’t rain in Buchanan Street?)

Looking north from the Argyle Street entrance

The Arcade is now populated only by Jeweller’s shops which was slightly sad to see, not least because 22-23 used to be occupied by the Clyde Model Dockyard a famous toy shop, for Dads rather than lads. It was always a special treat to “cut through” the arcade because it meant a chance, however brief, to gaze in awe and wonder at the boats and trains in the windows. On Sunday, everything seemed so different that I wasn’t even sure this was the right place – it was, it has just changed very considerably. Unfortunately this old black & white photo isn’t dated but it still gives an idea of how it was once.